Fragments of Aeterna

Deities and Mythos

The Endless One: Said to be worshiped by the gods in the same way mankind worships gods. For man to comprehend a god is difficult, their physical forms have never been witnessed, we only liken them to our own form. While their dominion is clear, it is unclear just how much power a god has and what they are capable of doing. The Endless One is just as mysterious to the gods, so for a mortal to attempt to comprehend The Endless One is impossible. The common belief is that It is the one that created the universe (or at least this plane) and all of the gods in it. Some mortals refer to the Endless One as two separate entities; the Spinster, who spins the thread of time and matter, and the Weaver of Fates, who weavers our fate into our “life thread”. Those who subscribe to the second belief are believers in predestination, unsurprisingly. Initiated the cataclysmic event that created the universe in which the Worlds Collide campaign setting exists.

Seifu, Goddess of the West Wind: This goddess is part of a duo with Kochi, the East Wind. Seifu is said to reside in the Sky Planes, with the Sylphs who worship her. The winds blowing from the west carry with them the pollen that causes the fields of western Oriias to flourish and grow. For that reason, Seifu is associated with life and growth. During the Ascent of Oni, Seifu banded together with Kochi to blow Oni from the top of the mountains.

Kochi, God of the East Wind: Part of a duo with Seifu, this god acts as the strong hand of the pair. The winds crossing eastwards across the water are turbulent and stormy. Sailors often toast to Kochi before sailing, lest they incur his wrath. After the removal of Oni from the Sky Planes, the pair decided to reside in the Sky Planes, in case Oni returned.

Kenjin, the Sword God: First god of the Sky Planes. Using his powerful sword, he lopped the tops off of the mountains that now make up the Sky Planes. Kenjin is the patron god of warriors, and is worshiped even outside the Sky Planes. During the Ascent of Oni, Kenjin did battle with the Demon God. After Kochi and Seifu blew Oni off the mountain, Kenjin gave chase. On Keji Island, Kenjin drove Oni into the volcano, forcing Oni to dig himself deep into the earth. Once they reached the mantle, Kenjin cast his sword upwards towards the Sky Planes, giving it to the first Sylph. Kenjin sacrificed himself to seal Oni underground, although Oni’s immense evil has since been able to creep out and corrupt others since the tomb was unearthed by the Deep Dwarves.

Oni, the Demon God: One day, Oni crawled up from the volcano that is now Keji Island. He scaled the mountains of Oriias, up to the Sky Planes. There he was met by Kenjin. Kochi and Seifu were elsewhere, and so Kenjin held Oni off in combat for several days. Finally, Kochi and Seifu arrived in the Sky Planes, and blew Oni off the mountains. Oni was sealed in a tomb deep below the earth by Kenjin. Oni is black in color, his long, lanky arms symbolize the far reach of his evil influence, and his toothy visage is the worldwide symbol for evil. While his physical form is contained by Kenjin, his dark influence has creeped back into the world since his tomb was unearthed by Deep Dwarves, who accidentally uncovered the tomb while constructing their Great Forge. While the Deep Dwarves of Keji Island are the most heavily influenced, the dark influence of Oni touches the corners of Aeterna. Many creatures of the wilds have been tainted by Oni, and are known as the Spawn of Oni. Scerrimon has employed great sentinels of nature to watch for and destroy the Spawn of Oni. The Spawn are identical to their normal creature forms to mortals, but those of divine nature can sense their evil, and in combat, the Spawn reveal their true form.

Scerrimon, God of the Wilds: Scerrimon is a great and powerful god, he holds dominion over nature and all things involved with it. Scerrimon stresses the importance of balance and natural order, for this reason he condones hunting for food and cultivating the soil. Scerrimon does not interact directly with nature most of the time, he allows all processes of nature (however cruel or brutal they may be) to take place naturally. There is one thing that keeps him busy however. The Spawn of Oni creep through his wilds, Oni’s corruption taking control of various creatures and transforming them into grotesque abominations. Oni is cunning, and Scerrimon knows this, so he does not personally dispatch the Spawn, for fear that the tendrils of Oni’s evil and madness would reach him on the physical plane. Scerrimon has created great sentinels to either stand watch (usually in the form of ents, spiders, and owls), or to actively hunt the Spawn (active hunters usually in the form of wolves, hawks, and centaurs). Few creatures are of Scerrimon’s direct creation, these include; Ents, centaurs, satyrs, and other magical beings. Scerrimon never directly interacts with mortal man, however his will is known and spread by the magical creatures of his dominion. His will is that a man devoted to his cause shall never wantonly harm nature, and that he only take life for reason of food, defense, or the smiting of evil. A follower of Scerrimon respects nature as he respects himself, and will always come to its aid. Scerrimon also created 4 other gods, the 4 Spirits of the Wilds, detailed below.

Spirit of Spring: Spring is a time of ravenous growth and expanse of nature, as it recoils from the harsh throes of winter. What creature better suited to personify the rapid growth and renewal of spring than the Hydra. The Spirit of Spring is a god created by Scerrimon, and the Hydra brings with it springtime. The Hydra is opposed by his opposite, the Spirit of Fall, who represents death and decay after the summer months.

Spirit of Summer: Summer signals the time of nature’s peak of liveliness. The fruits of our labor in the spring are reaped in the summer, and it is a time of revelry and feast. All of the life that has been regrowing and revitalizing during spring revels in the joys of summertime. This is a time where mankind and animals interact most, mostly through hunting. This dance between mankind and animals is best represented by the Centaur. When the Spirit of Summer strides through the forest it brings with it the warmth and revelry of summer. The Spirit of Summer is directly opposed by the Spirit of Winter, who represents the peak of inaction and death in nature.

Spirit of Fall: Fall signals the coming of the reaper. Fall signals the decline of liveliness in the forests, animals and man alike ready themselves for winter, many animals will begin hibernating. The reaper’s scythe has two uses; both to give and take life. The reaper slashes the leaves off of the trees, and forest seems to “die” as the animals begin conserving their energy and preparing for a long winter. The scythe is also a tool for harvesting of food, the coming of the reaper also signals the final feasts of the year, where the seeds sewn in summer come to fruit in the fall.

Spirit of Winter: For much of its history, Aeterna was an cold planet, and its winters harsh and unforgiving. The great Ice Giant comes down from his cave in the mountains and brings the cold with him. The winter is still, life ceases to flourish and grow, it is as if the wilds are devoid of life all together. The Ice Giant takes his time, slowly pulling the veil of winter over the land. The Spirit of Winter finishes his duty and returns to his cave, to revel in the silence of winter.

Kraenora, the Deep One: Kraenora is the goddess of the oceans. Her physical form is described as having a torso like that of a mermaid (humanoid, but with scales and gills) and her bottom half is like that of a great kraken. Kraenora is wrathful and harsh, she protects the creatures of the ocean vehemently, crushing ships who threaten to upset the balance of her kingdom by overfishing. Sailors may toast to Kochi for favorable winds while sailing, but they kneel and pray before Kraenora, to beg her for safe passage.

Draegmar, God of the Hearth: Draegmar is a stout dwarf god of earth and fire. Draegmar’s inferno brings death and destruction, but like the phoenix fires, it also brings new life and renewal. Draegmar keeps expansive growth in check, working in harmony with Scerrimon, who knows that the destructive forces of nature are of great importance to the balance.

Rockjaw, Forgemaster of the Aether: This Warforged is the patron god of the forge, artisans, and craftsmen. The Warforged are the pinnacle of human creation, machines of pristine craftsmanship and quality. Rockjaw represents the creative side to Draegmar’s destruction. He stokes the fires of Draegmar’s destruction and uses it to forge new life and renewal. He is also the weaponsmith of the gods, said to have created Kenjin’s sword from the fire’s of Aeternas inception.